Temple of Venus and Cupid

Archaeological area of ​​Santa Croce in Gerusalemme Roma (RM)

Site: Rome
Year: 2013
Client: MIBACT - Soprintendenza Speciale Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Roma
Area: 172 mq

The consolidation and restoration work involved securing the apsidal room improperly defined as the "Temple of Venus and Cupid", located in the archaeological area of ​​S. Croce in Gerusalemme. 
The magnificent structure is part of that grandiose imperial palace that Elena, mother of Constantine, had built after the victory of Ponte Milvio (312 AD), transforming the residence that belonged a century earlier to the Severan emperors. Of the actual residence remain the hall used as a chapel for the conservation of the Cross, the large apsidal hall subject to the restoration, and conspicuous remains of the domus.
The consolidation involved a portion of the wall structures of the current front of the monument, near the shutter of the arch, which had a lesion with rotation of a section of masonry. The lesion highlighted a vulnerability point of the structure, represented by the masonry that weighs on the pylon and which was not linked to the other portions of the factory. The top masonry was anchored and the pylon made safe through the insertion of a double system, consisting of eight threaded bars.
The positioning of these tie rods was made in such a way as to make the compression center coincide with the geometric center of the resistant section of the masonry. The new plugs create a seam at the shutter of arch that will protect the structure from instability.
In addition to the insertion of the tie rods for the consolidation, compensation of the lesion was carried out with the "cuci e scuci" method, for the safety of the monument.
The conservative restoration of the surfaces was carried out following the principle of 'minimal intervention' by cleaning with water spray and / or washing and brushing by hand all the surfaces of the monument. The shortcomings of the wall structures were stuccoed and reintegrated on time and the travertine corbels were consolidated to prevent the possible loss of material.

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